Every Thursday, we send out the great OnMilwaukee Weekend Preview filled with awesome things to do. Some are sports-related; many are not. So every Monday, we recap what happened in the world of Wisconsin sports while you were doing all those other awesome things.
Friday
Brewers lose to Mets, 2-1: Thanks to a strange play Scooter Gennett said might happen "once every couple years" and a run that was disallowed after an instant replay review, Milwaukee lost in a pitcher’s duel at Miller Park. In the 11th inning, Jonathan Villar dropped a Matt Reynolds line drive, and Gennett got confused on the fielder’s choice, allowing Asrubal Cabrera to score the go-ahead run. Earlier, in the third frame, Aaron Hill was ruled out at home for sliding over – and not actually touching – the plate, costing the Brewers a run. Milwaukee only managed three hits against Matt Harvey and the Mets, wasting a strong outing (6 2/3 innings, one earned run) from Junior Guerra.
Saturday
Brewers beat Mets, 7-4: On a sweltering "Star Wars" night at Miller Park, the Brewers used the force of the long ball to overcome another poor Wily Peralta pitching performance and beat New York for the first time this season. Ryan Braun hit two home runs in the game, Chris Carter slugged his 17th of the season, Scooter Gennett added one and even Peralta got the first of his career. Peralta, who would be sent down to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Sunday, gave up three earned runs in five innings (6.68 ERA on the year) but improved his record to 4-7.
Torrent beat TwinStars, 5-0: It was 90 degrees in the home opener of the inaugural season for Milwaukee’s pro soccer team, and it got heated on the field as well. The Torrent overcame a sluggish first half to score four second-half goals – with a man advantage – and win at Uihlein Soccer Park in front of about 650 fans, some of whom were allegedly disrespectful and nearly caused the game to end prematurely.
Brewers make 41 picks in MLB Draft: After taking athletic Louisville outfielder Corey Ray with the fifth overall pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and then Menlo College third baseman Lucas Erceg and prep catcher Mario Feliciano later Thursday, Milwaukee made eight selections on Friday and 30 more on Saturday.
Panthers player drafted by Yankees: Milwaukee senior right-handed pitcher Brian Keller was selected by the New York Yankees in the 39th round of the MLB Draft, with pick No. 1,178 overall. Named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-Conference, Keller was the first-ever Panther to record 10 victories in a single season. He becomes the 18th Milwaukee player to be drafted all-time and the ninth since 2011.
Sunday
Brewers beat Mets, 5-3: In the series finale against New York at Miller Park – at which team-themed nachos were debuted – Milwaukee rookie starter Zach Davies again was brilliant, pitching six innings of three-hit ball and striking out seven without allowing an earned run. The Brewers got offensive contributions from the bottom of the order, with Scooter Gennett, Keon Broxton (two stolen bases for my man!) and Davies – the last three batters in the lineup – supplying five of the nine hits and three of the five runs. Closer Jeremy Jeffress struck out a couple Mets in the ninth inning to notch his 18th save. On Monday, the Brewers begin a nine-game west coast road trip.
Admirals alum helps Penguins win Stanley Cup: Former Milwaukee AHL player Patric Hornqvist scored an empty-net goal to help Pittsburgh defeat San Jose, 3-1, to win the series and the Stanley Cup. Hornqvist became the 16th ex-Admiral to win hockey’s most treasured trophy, beating a Sharks team that included Nick Spaling, a teammate of Hornqvist’s on Milwaukee’s 2008-09 squad.
Born in Milwaukee but a product of Shorewood High School (go ‘Hounds!) and Northwestern University (go ‘Cats!), Jimmy never knew the schoolboy bliss of cheering for a winning football, basketball or baseball team. So he ditched being a fan in order to cover sports professionally - occasionally objectively, always passionately. He's lived in Chicago, New York and Dallas, but now resides again in his beloved Brew City and is an ardent attacker of the notorious Milwaukee Inferiority Complex.
After interning at print publications like Birds and Blooms (official motto: "America's #1 backyard birding and gardening magazine!"), Sports Illustrated (unofficial motto: "Subscribe and save up to 90% off the cover price!") and The Dallas Morning News (a newspaper!), Jimmy worked for web outlets like CBSSports.com, where he was a Packers beat reporter, and FOX Sports Wisconsin, where he managed digital content. He's a proponent and frequent user of em dashes, parenthetical asides, descriptive appositives and, really, anything that makes his sentences longer and more needlessly complex.
Jimmy appreciates references to late '90s Brewers and Bucks players and is the curator of the unofficial John Jaha Hall of Fame. He also enjoys running, biking and soccer, but isn't too annoying about them. He writes about sports - both mainstream and unconventional - and non-sports, including history, music, food, art and even golf (just kidding!), and welcomes reader suggestions for off-the-beaten-path story ideas.
